


a Start.

by raccodactyl



Series: Good Thing [8]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Arthur deserves to be happy, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Some angst, Vulnerability, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-11-12 06:01:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18005222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raccodactyl/pseuds/raccodactyl
Summary: -very much not a one-shotYour first day in your new home was a successful one, although you learned something about Arthur you hadn't before.





	a Start.

**Author's Note:**

> my dyslexic ass is tired and cba to edit this so uuh hello grammarly and just ignore my typos i'm trying my best here

It was really late when you arrived at the Loft. Jack was asleep in Abigail’s and John and Arthur had gone quiet, both of them drowsy. You rode beside the wagon, looking out for trouble and keeping the horses in line. It was a long ride, but you made it before the sun began to rise. 

 

You pulled up to the tall building and people seemed to catch their second wind. “This is quite the place you’ve found,” John said, sounding impressed

 

“Proud to call it home,” you smiled back. 

 

You hitched the horses as they parked the wagon, feeding them quickly before returning to the rest of the group. Jack clung to Abigail like a baby koala as John helped her down off the wagon. You and Arthur grabbed blankets from your things and headed inside, laying them down as a make-shift bed for the Marstons for the night in front of the fireplace. 

 

“John,” Arthur started, “You build a fire for them while me and Y/N start unloading.”

 

“You sure,” he asked back, “I could handle the boxes.”

 

“Don’t worry about it,” Arthur said before going back outside and you followed. 

 

You took the few boxes you had brought with you and brought them in one-by-one, no plan to unpack tonight, just wanted to get your things out of the elements. You stacked the trunks in the corner and soon the heat of the fire brought more life to the little house. 

 

John sat up next to a sleeping Abigail, gently running his fingers through her hair. Jack was still sound asleep. He gave you a little nod and you smiled back at him before going up the outlook, Arthur following close behind. You leaned against the wall, arms resting on the top of the guard when Arthur wrapped himself around you once again.

 

“Oh, my dear boy,” he yawned before resting his chin on your shoulder. “It’s getting real late.”

 

“I know,” you whispered back, feeling him lean further into you, “I just wanted a moment alone with you.”

 

“Well aren’t you sweet,” he chuckled.

 

You stood in silence for a few minutes, feeling his body pressed tight against yours in his tired state. You turned around and pressed a kiss to his lips which he gladly returned. You wrapped your arms around his neck and he kept you pressed close around your waist. 

 

“Oh shit, sorry,” you heard John say as the two of you quickly pulled apart. “I’ll head back down.”

 

“Calm down,” Arthur teased. “Stay up for a smoke.”

 

He dug a pack of cigarettes out of his bag, passing both you and John one before taking one out for himself and grabbing his box of matches. 

 

“Can’t explain how much all this means to us,” John said before inhaling the smoke, “I don’t know where we would have ended up without it.”

 

“‘Course,” you replied. “We want the best for you and your family, John. Wouldn’t have been right for us to high tail it without finding you a way out, too.”

 

“I don’t know how I can repay you for this.”

 

“Nonsense,” Arthur said back, “Don’t focus on that. We’ll figure out the big stuff later.”

 

Arthur kept an arm around you while you all finished your cigarettes. You all climbed down the ladder and got ready for bed. You kicked your boots off and got ready for bed. John crawled over near Abigail and you took the side of the bed closest to the wall. Arthur crawled in behind you, resting on his belly with his head on your shoulder and half his torso on top of you as he did when he was particularly tired. You gently rubbed his back and in mere minutes he was out and you soon followed, his little snores lulling you to sleep.

 

\--

 

Arthur was still fast asleep when you woke up, his deep breathing making it evident that he wouldn’t be ready to wake up for a good while. You took your time waking up before carefully crawling out from under his grasp and out of the bed. 

 

You walked over into the kitchen and dug out what rations you had brought with you to fix a breakfast big enough for all of you. Just before you finished, you saw little Jack sit up and rub his eyes. He looked around before getting up and walking towards you. 

 

“Mornin’ kiddo,” you smiled as you dug some plates from the old cupboards and began to dish out what food you had prepared, just for the two of you right now. 

 

“G’morning Uncle Y/N,” Jack said happily. “Did you make breakfast for all of us?”

 

“Yeah I did,” you smiled back, “But I figured we should let your folks sleep in a bit, hmm? Take a seat and eat up, though.”

 

The two of you ate quietly, Jack talking about how he was excited to be staying with you. It had been a long time since he had spent a night indoors and he was especially excited when you mentioned the possibility of him having his own bedroom. He was a real sweet kid and he might’ve had the world against him, but he had the toughest of people looking out for him. 

 

You left the dirty dishes on the counter before turning back to him, “Go grab one of your books, I wanna show you a cool place we can read.”

 

“Okay,” he exclaimed, seeming giddy.

 

You helped him open the box of his things and he grabbed a book with a dragon printed brightly on the cover. You ruffled his hair lightly before leading to the ladder. You had him climb up a few rungs before following, caging him in so he couldn’t fall back and hurt himself. You helped him pull himself up at the top. 

 

“Woah, this is awesome!”

 

“Isn’t it cool? Here, let me show you the lookout.”

 

You set the book down in the corner of the outlook and picked Jack up, helping him to look over the tall fence surrounding the deck. You looked out over the landscape, the warm sun shining through the trees. You’d never get sick of this view.

 

You put Jack back on the floor and he went back to his storybook. You sat with your back against the rail and he plopped down next to you. You opened the book to the first chapter and began reading the tale of the knight saving the princess from the dragon’s lair, acting out the characters as best as you could with your range of goofy voices to keep Jack invested.

 

You were lost in the fantasy world when you heard a warm, little chuckle, startling you and making you jump. You looked up to see Arthur laughing to himself at your reaction and you gave him a playful glare, only adding to his fit. 

 

“Good morning, Uncle Arthur! What are you laughing at.”

 

“Don’t worry about it, boy,” he said as he calmed himself, “Only came up here to find ya. Your mama’s look for you.”

 

“Okay,” Jack smiled before getting up. 

 

You followed him and Arthur guided him down the ladder. Abigail and John were awake already. John sat at the table, finishing his plate of food as Abigail started fiddling with the blankets on the floor, folding them up. 

 

“Me and John were gonna take the wagon to town and try to get the place stocked up,” Abigail said as she tucked the blankets into the corner. 

 

“Least we could do,” John added.

 

“We could use it,” you responded. “Not gonna bother with a list, just get as much as you can. ‘Preciate it, really do.”

 

“It’s no problem at all,” John nodded. 

 

Arthur and John talked for a moment as Abigail got Jack ready to go. You took the moment to dig into your bag and grab a little wad of cash. You tucked it in your pocket discreetly. 

 

“You ready head out,” John asked towards Abigail.

 

She nodded and headed towards the door. John started walking and quickly you caught up to him and tucked the cash in his hand, “Find yourself a bed. I won’t have you sleeping on the floor again.”

 

“Y/N, you’ve already done so much, I can’t take this.”

 

“Don’t start with that now. Go on.”

 

He gave you a genuine nod and you patted him on the back and let him go. He got the horses strapped up and headed out towards town. They’d be gone for a good while, giving you and Arthur some alone time. 

 

The two of you started unpacking your things, putting your clothes into the dressers and tucking miscellaneous items into the bedside drawers. He hung his hats and coats on the rack and you added the photos to the mantle. The unique house was soon becoming a home.  

 

You sat outside to take a break for a moment, sitting on the steps and Arthur took the spot next to you, “Slipped John a few bucks so they can get themselves off the floor.”

 

“You couldn’t be mean if you tried, darlin’,” he lit up a cigarette. “Was able to catch your for a good while readin’ to little Jack this mornin’.”

 

“For a man of your stature, you are unfairly light on your feet.”

 

He chuckled to himself, “Sight for sore eyes, it was. You’re a handsome one.”

 

“Ain’t got nothin’ on you, my dear,” Arthur passed you smoke, letting you take a drag. “Part of me wishes we could have a boy of our own someday.”

 

He got a bit tense, biting at his lip slightly before taking a deep breath. “Did I ever tell you about an old girl... Eliza?”

 

“Think you might’ve mentioned her name in passing,” you nodded, “Don’t know much more than the name though.”

 

“Well, it goes deeper than that. And- ah shit- I’m sorry I’m just telling you now. I don’t like talking about it much.” He started fidgeting in his seat and put the cigarette out in the grass. You took one of his hands in yours, trying to comfort him as best as you could with whatever it was that was bugging him.

 

“I can understand. You can tell me anything though, Arthur. Made that a promise since day one.”

 

He eased up a bit, raising your grip to leave a light kiss on your palm before keeping your hand to his face. You moved closer to him, letting your legs tangle between his. 

 

“I was real young,” he began, “when I met this girl Eliza. One thing lead to another and, um, we uh… We had a boy… A little boy. His name was Isaac. I wasn’t much of a father, only dropped by maybe a few times a year. I was real scared… And young, and stupid. I messed up real bad.” He buried his face in your hand, sniffling a bit and avoiding your eyes. “I came back to visit one day and I didn’t find them. I found-shit. I found a set of graves, one far too little. I messed up beyond repair, and I don’t think there’s a way I can redeem myself for what I did back then. I can’t make it better, I can’t reconcile, I can’t apologize, hell, I can’t even get them to call me out on what I did because they’re long gone. And it’s my fault. It’s my fault and I can’t make it better.”

 

“You can’t take all the blame for that. You couldn’t get out of things back then.”

 

“They were killed and robbed, Y/N, and I wasn’t there to protect them. Murdered in cold blood, all for ten bucks…”

 

You watched as he started to crack. A tear fell from his eyes when you brought him into your chest, “All for ten bucks,” he repeated into your shoulder. 

 

You held him tight, “I didn’t know.”

 

“I thought I was over it by now,” he shook his head. 

 

“You don’t need to be. You’re always this big, tough man. I know it’s hard for you. And I know you bury things. I can’t break that habit, but we can work on this. It’s okay to feel down, Arthur. You don’t need to be tough with me. I’m glad you told me.” He sat up, still facing you. “The important thing to note right now is that you know you did wrong. You know better than what you did back then. You don’t need to prove yourself.”

 

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to forgive myself.”

 

“I can understand.”

 

He collected himself, rubbing at his eyes. “It’s why I’m so harsh with John. I didn’t want him messing up like I did.”

 

“Always thought there was a reason for it, never wanted to push it, though.”

 

He took your hand again, tracing at the lines of your palms. He was quiet, seemed like he was a world away in his head. Minutes passed before he broke the silence in a gentle tone, “I like myself better when I’m with you.”

 

\--

 

John and Abigail arrived a few hours later with a wagon full of food and other essentials. You and Arthur helped bring the supplies in while Abigail started to whip something up for supper. She could barely cook worth a damn but she was trying he best and it really showed. She came from a rough background, but she was trying to be the model wife and you could only admire her for that. You helped out where you could as she chopped things up to put in a pot of stew. 

 

Arthur and John set up the bed in the main room while Jack played with the new toy they must’ve just picked up. Things were started to feel homey in the loft. John talked about some land he scoped on the property that looked good to build a house on. They had stopped at the bank in town and managed to get a loan big enough to cover the costs of a pre-cut house. It would take a lot of work between the three of you to build it, but it would work out. 

 

The sun went down and Arthur had been outside for a good while. John was sorting through papers and Abigail was getting Jack to bed so you decided to go out and check on him. He sat in the same spot as earlier, gazing out to the land before him. 

 

“What are you doing out here,” you asked as you approached him, clearly startling him slightly.

 

“I’m gonna sound silly. For the first time in probably ten years, I have a roof of my own to sleep under. First time since I was a boy that I have a real place to call home. And I’m already missing sleeping outside.”

 

You sat next to him letting out a little laugh, “Told you, cowboy. I’ll never be able to get the wild out of you.” You pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, “Now before you have to ask, yes, we can break the tent out for the night.”

 

“Know me all too well.”

 

“I got an idea. I’ll help you make a little fire pit and we can have a little circle like old times, hm?”

 

He got up with a smile and lent you a hand. You gathered rocks to make the pit and he brought firewood. You put the large stones in a circle and he started tending to the fire. You went back inside to invite the others out. Little Jack was asleep so they gladly accepted. You sat around the fire, warming up with the other couple and telling stories from your younger days. 

 

Things were slowing down for the night when you heard the sound of a horse fast approaching. Arthur stood up, on guard and ready for a possible fight until the face came into the light. 

 

“The hell is out there,” he yelled out.

 

“It’s me,” a familiar voice called back. 

 

The figure approached and came into the light of the fire and a bright smile came over Arthur’s face. 

 

“God, I didn’t expect to see you so soon, Charles.”

 

“Couldn’t help but see where you’ve ended up. You’ve done well for yourselves, really have.”

 

“Well come on, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable.”

 

Conversation continued deep into the night as Charles asked more questions about how you ended up here. It was a good way to close the night and dammit if you didn’t miss him already. It made you extraordinarily happy to know you weren’t losing him. 

 

No one brought up the rest of the gang. It was definitely the elephant in the room but it was far too late to be discussing dramatics and you all knew that. Eventually, it was time to hit the hay and you offered Charles your bed for the night. He reluctantly accepted as you and Arthur set up the tent outside. Oddly enough, this was more private than sleeping in your own home. 

 

Arthur held you tight in the tent, the space away from others allowing you to be a bit more physical with him. Neither of you was in the mood for the night, but it felt good to have his lips against yours. You rested your head on his chest and he lightly played with your hair until the two of you were out in a deep, peaceful sleep. He was right, it was still comforting to hear the sounds of nature all around you through the thin canvas of your tent. The two of you were different, undoubtedly so, but a good different it was. 


End file.
